1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nozzle surface cleaning apparatus and a droplet ejection apparatus, and more particularly to a nozzle surface cleaning apparatus and a droplet ejection apparatus in which a droplet ejection head has a nozzle surface disposed obliquely with respect to the horizontal plane and the oblique nozzle surface is cleaned.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a recording operation is carried out continuously in an inkjet recording apparatus, ink adheres and accumulates in the vicinity of the nozzles and blockages occur in the nozzles. Hence, in an inkjet recording apparatus, cleaning of the nozzle surface is carried out periodically.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 03-262646 and 2006-205712 disclose that the cleaning of the nozzle surface is performed by wiping the nozzle surface with a blade or an ink absorbing body.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-019132 discloses that a cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface before wiping in order to further increase the cleaning effect.
In an inkjet recording apparatus which performs color recording using a plurality of line heads while conveying a medium on a drum, if the heads of the respective colors (for example, yellow, cyan, magenta, black) are arranged about one drum, then it is necessary to obliquely dispose the respective heads about the periphery of the drum in such a manner that nozzle surfaces of the heads are oblique to the horizontal plane.
On the other hand, if cleaning is performed by applying cleaning liquid on the nozzle surfaces in the inkjet recording apparatus in which the nozzle surfaces are obliquely disposed, then a problem arises in that the applied cleaning liquid collects on the lower edges of the nozzle surfaces in the direction of inclination and irregularly drops down, causing soiling of the peripheral area.
Furthermore, in the case of a cleaning apparatus having a composition which subsequently performs wiping with an ink absorbing body, there is also a problem in that the cleaning liquid which has collected on the lower edges of the nozzle surfaces is absorbed by the ink absorbing body, the absorbing capacity of the ink absorbing body declines and wiping residue occurs.